And so it’s Lenny. Let’s put some easy to apply context onto the decision, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez were not about to pitch up in the east end of Glasgow, those names were placed in the pubic domain by those in the betting markets. Jose is pondering his next move, with a number of oil wells pumping away at his disposal. Should Rafa leave Newcastle, he has a mind-blowing deal on the table from a Chinese club, and that’s before he is on the market. There was not a candidate of Brendan’s calibre.
Salzburg manager, Marco Rose, ticked lots of boxes. Salzburg were scintillating against Celtic this season, but the whole of Europe knows about Rose, who will join ‘some German team’ in the summer.
We could have had David Wagner, two great seasons with Huddersfield before it all collapsed, but never having managed a club bigger than Huddersfield (or any other club), the risks were evident. How would he cope with the scrutiny and pressure to win every game, when he has not actually won anything? Before he joined Schalke, he was a possibility, but not a clear favourite.
We could have thrown the field open and gone for a Ronny Delia-type candidate, someone who has outperformed – and won things, in another European league. There is a time for this kind of appointment, but is that now?
This month saw new names on the market, like Chris Hughton. Hughton did for Brighton what Wagner did at Huddersfield. He was a worthy candidate but there were red flags among the green. Hughton spent £77m at Brighton this season (selling £12m of talent), but it was careless. £17m went to Alkmaar for Alireza Jahanbakhsh, but the player was given 90 minutes only four times. This is the kind of shabby recruitment that values Oliver Burke at £15m. It is as wrong for Celtic as it was for Brighton.
The major consideration, and why Neil got the job, is that Celtic have a major rebuilding exercise to undertake. They need to replace Lustig (whether he remains as backup or not), Boyata, Benkovic and Mousse Dembele. Despite the mainstays of central mid being under contract, this area of the team needs at least one significant recruit.
Not only do they need to spend money this summer, but they need a high success rate from the new arrivals. Signing the likes of Burke, Toljan and the legendary Compper would jeopardise the most precious of properties in football – a place in history.
Whatever you think of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic know very well the commercial impact a manager of his calibre brought to the club, but that level was not open this time. We could have repeated the Ronny Deila experiment from Europe, or picked up someone recently out of a job in England, but not at this time.
Everyone at Celtic knows that for the next 100 years, fans will look back at this period and ask one of two questions: What was it like to live through +10-in-a-row? Or, How did they not get 10-in-a-row?
We need to spend, what for Celtic, is a lot of money, perhaps more than ever. It needs to be spent well, with a lot more hits than misses. If we break our transfer record again this season, the player(s) needs to an outstanding success.
Whatever Neil’s strengths and flaws, one comment from Peter Lawwell immediately after the Cup Final gave insight into what the club seen in the manager, “he has a great eye for a player”. This appointment was not about stepping up when required, being a real Celtic man, or winning the league and Scottish Cup. This was about spending a lot of money to make sure we get nine and then 10-in-a-row.
Celtic believe Neil Lennon can spend your money effectively. That is why he is here. Buckle up.
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Uncle Jimmy, NL has dealt with that pressure before, Gerard can’t afford to be seen to fail.
Should Peter Lawell get a statue outside Parkhead for his leadership during his tenure as head of the Celtic business ? Surely it’s hard to find fault in his performance as CEO. Has there been anyone in our history that comes anywhere close? I think not.
These newer “characters” are fair puttin’ a shift in…………….
they’re so darn…………. readable!
;)
:0
HH
MNCELT,
No, he is just doing his job whatever CEO is.
Sad passing of Celtic great, Harry Hood
By: Paul Cuddihy on 26 May, 2019 10:31
Everyone at Celtic is saddened at the death of Harry Hood, who has passed away at the age of 74. A Celtic great, Harry made 310 appearances for the Hoops between 1969 and ’76, scoring a very impressive 123 goals.
Having started his playing career with Clyde, he had a spell with Sunderland before returning to Clyde, and it was after three seasons with the Bully Wee that Jock Stein brought him to Celtic.
Celtic were blessed with exceptional, world-class strikers at that time, having won the European Cup two years previously, but Harry Hood offered something different to the rest. He had skill, poise and a touch of real class. When given a chance in front of goal, he rarely panicked. The supporters loved him and were happy to immortalise another hero in a varied repertoire of songs.
Hood’s 123 goals in 310 appearances prove that his signing was another masterstroke from Jock Stein. He augmented a vibrant group of forwards and the medals flowed. Indeed, the first of those 123 goals came on his debut, a 3-0 league win over St Mirren at Love Street on March 29, 1969.
Harry won the League Cup that same year to pick up his first piece of silverware as the Hoops beat St Johnstone 1-0 in the final, and he never looked back. When Harry left Celtic in 1976, he took away six Scottish League medals, four Scottish Cup medals and two League Cup medals – a very impressive haul.
He won the league every season from 1968/69 to 1973/74 and lifted the Scottish Cup in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975 and the League Cup in 1969 and 1974. In 1970/71, Hood was Celtic’s top scorer with 33 goals.
In a fiercely competitive era, full international honours never came Harry’s way, but his club exploits made up for that disappointment.
Aside from Celtic, he also played for Clyde, Sunderland, Motherwell and Queen of the South. He also had a spell in America after leaving Celtic. Wherever he went, Hood scored goals. That knack never deserted him.
Hood deserves his place in Celtic folklore. He wasn’t a Lisbon Lion or a Quality Street Kid, but he fitted in perfectly at Celtic. He had the X-Factor that helped the team win games and in many ways he was the classic Celtic player. His record of 123 goals and 12 major honours stands comparison with the greats.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic are with Harry’s family and friends at this extremely sad time.
Burnley 78,
Not being very well remunerated by Celtic to research the employment status contractual status and suitability of the 1000 odd professional football managers Iin Europe alone I don’t have the list you are looking for but I would suggest the board should have!
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/resources/images/9904509/?type=responsive-gallery-fullscreen
‘What we do in the shadows’ – very funny!
BURNLEY,
See you get usual response from those who call for better manager and players without telling us who they want and how much to pay for them.
They respond by saying they are not scouts for Celtic.
i’vehadtochangemymind on 27th May 2019 7:38 pm
‘What we do in the shadows’ – very funny!
======
Watch the original New Zealand movie that the BBC series is based on. It is hilarious
WESTCRAIGS on 27TH MAY 2019 5:23 PM
Two points.
FFS – Shi**in yourself about the huns already.
IMO
HH
So we have supporters who think its OK for NFL to step in at a minute’s notice, bail us out of the shit, win the treble treble, and then we simply open the back door, push him out telling him what a great guy he is whilst the new messiah comes in the front door to a hero’s welcome? Really is that what they expected? And these guys are Celtic supporters?
will do ogie
TRADITIONALIST88 on 27TH MAY 2019 2:52 PM
HENRIK1967 on 27TH MAY 2019 2:42 PM
Would you trust someone who has concrete evidence regarding resolution 12, promised shareholders he would fire the bullet if shareholders provide that bullet and he went back on his word when those guys provided that billet ?
=================
I don’t know what hes got on Res 12 or the current status.
A lot of effort went into creating this, https://www.res12.uk/
Unfortunately it takes a lot of effort to read it all but if you want a summing up:
Rangers breached UEFA FFP rules to be granted and then keep a UEFA Licence in 2011 using fraud and non disclosure to do so, but neither the SFA nor Celtic want to admit it because the events then and since to avoid admitting what did happen would mean having to face down Rangers after giving them a promise as part of the 5 Way agreement that they wouldn’t.
Unfortunately Celtic will not come out of this well if they stick to the strategy they deployed after the 2013 AGM.
Premier sports 2 showing a full 90 mins rerun of our cup final
2nd half just started
I fancy our chances ;-)
P67
Without wanting to sound all MR-D — you would say that wouldn’t you.
Complete tripe defending our useless exec level — your analysis starts poor and gets worse.
Big issue that passes you by completely — your 100 year comment.
If the issue is so special then why aren’t people asking now — 44 years later — why we lost out on 10IAR the last time, never mind this 100 year nonsense?
Where is your analysis on this or your sense of history regarding this?
Or is it a case that the tabloid side of your personality won out?
Saturday showed us to be a good team in decline with a poor coach.
Thank heavens we were playing Hertz — that performance was only good enough to win against the poorest team of 2019 in the Top 9. The game was shocking and yet we are expected to believe that NL is the future and the way forward?
He wasn’t good enough in 2014 and he isn’t good enough now.
He is a cheap, pliable option to keep PL in bonuses and the limelight.
CALL ME GERRY on 27TH MAY 2019 8:09 PM
Premier sports 2 showing a full 90 mins rerun of our cup final
In the rerun , the board appoints Rafa at the end! -))
GDT
:-)
Ad I.
Greig must stay.
NFL is our man now so let’s just get on with it.
First signing will be indicative, if it’s guys like O’’Donnell at Killie or McKenna from the Dandy Dons then we’ve learnt nothing. Hastie looks decent but would he get in our team, buy him and loan him out. Got to steer clear of England as we’ll never spend the levels the championship can spend never mind EPL.
We paid big bucks once, on a guy we’d already had a good look at in the Hoops, once that’s all.
If it’s guys like Hooper then heaven forfend.
Reasons I have for being nervous about this appointment don’t really matter, not even to me, now. It is what it is and we move on.
YEESSSSSSS!!!! Get in Eddy
(seriously just noticed that their keeper got booked at Penalty)
MADMITCH,
What’s your point?
You expecting an answer from P67 or just wanting to vomit your obvious personal subjective bad feelings about Celtic
Ron Bacardi
As usual armchair quarter backs with know idea themselves but quick to criticise.
Ignorance is bliss. Noisy ’empty vessel’ ignorance is hilarious.
MN Celt
Celtic has won 12 out of 17 leagues since Lawwell took over as CEO.
It has gone from haemorrhaging cash to having a sustainable financial advantage.
It has won 26 out of 51 domestic trophies vs our nearest rivals 15 in this period
Celtic has reached Europe post xmas 7 times out of 17 seasons vs just 1 in previous 23 years.
For some time it competed in a financially doped environment.
Celtic drove them to the wall in this time.
But of course those folk who have never actually had to manage or direct anything in their lives can all do it so much better. Anyone could have achieved what has been achieved. That’s why we had a history of financial chaos and opaque financial governance for the previous 115 years.
How does one join the
I’m a cleverer better Celtic supporter clique
Asking for a friend
Hi Bhoys
Just my thoughts NL’s teams tend to be set up for a more aggresive a physical style of football compared to fraudgers teams who played more open attractive football. This season me and everyone on here have witnessed our team being physically abused in more games than not and no protection offered by the mib’s. We have watched industrial scale cheating from everyone to try and prevent 8 in a row never mind 9 or 10. They broke the gentleman’s rule of returning the ball they even tried under inflating the balls at Hamilton and growing the grass at Tynecastle. Make no mistake we need for next season a big strong physical team to stand up to what they will throw at us and NFL’s style of team will do that for us. To steal a wee bit of a CANALAMAR post from ages ago———
if you don;t have the balls for the fight, sit down and shut the fuck up.
We are going to need fighting men like NFL so let’s get get on with the scrap. BIG STRONG MEN!!!!!
WEE BGFC also from ages ago stop posting a link to that song my old ticker can’t take it.
And lastly was in Prague all weekend in mixed company and watched the game in The Dubliner also plenty Hearts fans there. No fighting or sick songs all weekend. Then gets off the plane in Edinburgh outside the airport 3 fuds in their 50’s start singing that disgusting hun song about the Lisbon Lions. These fuds are beyond words.
KEEP THE FAITH
Knightswoodbhoy
So you have no idea who we should appoint but you are sure the board has got it wrong ?
You sound like the fellow on BBC news tonight still talking about biscuit tins …..
I had to check it wasn’t a rerun of the news from the era when our faithful booed Fergus.
On the Neil Lennon appointment I got what I expected based on the thinking that TBB articulated earlier
I could not think of a manager , the total cost of whom Celtic’s could afford, whose appointment could have overcame the fears and demands for certainty that Neil Lennon’s appointment has given air to.
BR’s appointment was the exception to previous since MoN that proved the rule because the stars aligned to bring him in, but he buggered off once his aims were met.
BR raised expectations but NL has brought them back down to earth, or reality as I perceive it, which turned out to actually be more than a perception, so making it real.
Is NL’s appointment a good or a bad thing?
Here is where the Zenmaster steps in.
https://youtu.be/HoMLl9WYqgY
See reality?
You couldn’t make it up.
After Billy passed, Jozo wearing the iconic No 5 powered in a McNeill like header to win vital game in the 67th minute., Then Stevie Chalmers passes to his eternal reward and we play a Cup Final, go a goal down, we equalize on 62 minutes & score the winner on 82 minutes . Tommy Gemmell was timed at 63 & Stevie at 83.
Close enough for me.
RB @ 8.26
I want the club to grow and develop both off and on the park.
I want us to play good football, make a noise in the football world and win things.
I do not want the club to become the personal plaything of a CEO who delivers little but consumes a lot.
The whole situation has developed into a pit pony scenario.
We have seen the light and do not want to return to the darkness.
If this whole episode does not turn out well then we will need to put the covers back on the LL upper tier.
The last season has been a shambles that will take a long time to fix.
We may have won a treble but we are empty husk of a club looking for renewal.
Being better than the TFOD2.1 is not enough — they are history and our future should be growth and development away from the backward and inadequate swamp that is the SFA, the “OF” and our local media.
At a company with circa £100m turnover I would expect all appropriate candidates to be spoken to, followed up with interviews to a select few.
Should our shareholders be alarmed that due process does not seem to have been followed.
HH.
Go tell the spartim
Interesting question.
I sat in front of two Middle aged guys on Saturday at Hampden. Supposed celtic supporters who from kick off until the second goal screamed abuse and vitriol at celtic players for virtually every pass never mind misplaced pass. The wee 12 year old boy next to thrm periodically shouted come on celtic or clapped for the odd good bit of play and there were not many I grant you.
The two loudmouths finally started to cheer their team and praise in the 82 minute. Stopped swearing and calmed down. The wee boy kept supporting his team and celebrated.
Are there levels of fan ? I don’t know. I know which kind I would rather occupied 50,000 seats at celtic park each week. Next year needs full support alignment behind a common cause. That’s what the govan lot will have. That’s most of all they have got. Our lot need to support our superior resources to the hilt and more. We will be up against it from tomorrow until 9 is won.
GREENPINATA on 27TH MAY 2019 8:43 PM
“Due process’ = get the cheapest and most pliable person to take the job.
Mad Mitch,
looking at the stats Burnley78 posted
i dont think you can say PL has delivered little.
EDDY!!!! What a finish!!
We might win this you know.
That’ll surely lead to days of celebratory posts on here…
Greenpinata
Surely if the job spec was so tight and specialised thrn normal recruiting processes might be superfluous to needs. Eg
Experienced in big club must win environment
Knowledge and understanding of how to win in scottish game
Able to hit the ground running.
I am not saying I think it is the perfect appointment. But really cannot see any others vs the objective of 9 and 10. That said I hope a technical structure to compliment Neil’s obvious limitations is put in place alongside his core role.
Onenightinlisbon
So who would you appoint as manager then ?
Gordybhoy64
My concern re the job that has been done is not leading for structural change as a core priority within football. Either Celtic and Rangers to Chsmpionship when it coukd have happened in 2005 or for a European structure for the smaller TV regions to aggregate and compete with the big leagues. These are the areas our board have come up short in this past 20 years. Not bloody biscuit tins and financial management. Big strategic moves.
If Warburton, Murty or Pedro were still in charge of sevco would there be such a negative reaction to Neil’s appointment? I don’t think so…in that case, is it Gerrard that is making everyone so anxious?